Did you know that Satan does not want to be acknowledged as real? He doesn’t, he would rather we think he is a figment of our imagination. Many people do not believe in Satan, and that is exactly what Satan wants, he would like us to believe he is not real so he can secretly cause destruction in our lives.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
Satan not wanting to be acknowledged is exactly why he disguises himself. He doesn’t introduce himself when he deceives us, if he did we would resist him, no one wants to be controlled by the enemy. So why are we fooled by the enemy? The answer for some is living by hearsay, and that happens when one hasn’t taken the time to know God for themselves, thus living by what others say and think about God. Some do know the Word of God (God) therefore live by reasonings and theories, trusting in their own thinking.
The answer to outwit the enemy is to know God for ourselves, not trusting in someone else’s opinion, but study the Word to know God, and have our own relationship with God. We should know God like we know our best friend or our spouse. The Word tells us not to lean on our own understanding but to acknowledge God in all our ways, thus we need to know God and depend on Him.
Satan dresses up to try and be imitate God so he can be in control of us, he wants to be our god. For those who won’t take the time to know God, it is easy for Satan to deceive that person. When a person doesn't know God Satan can throw just about anything out there and that person would believe it. The one who doesn’t know God will believe the rumors Satan tells about God, thus God’s character is distorted. Satan tells the lies like God is doing this bad thing to us, God doesn't care excetra, when God is in fact, in love with us and He does care.
Satan will use our lack of knowledge and our weaknesses to try and control us. . When we are not careful, Satan will use our fleshly desires to lead us away from the truth. God will lead you by your spirit and convict you of any lie you are living, and Satan will lead you by your flesh, whatever feels good, whatever is effortless.
Having faith is something we have to practice and it takes time to get to that place, therefore just like anything else we are new at, faith is an effort until we get the hang of it.
The Word of God is God and should be our foundation, our final confirmation of what we think to be true.
Jesus said He only did and said what the Father told Him to say; therefore we should have that same motto, which goes back to that once popular saying, “What Would Jesus Do?” If we can see Jesus doing it, then we should do it. If we can’t then we shouldn’t be doing it.
Another lie Satan tells is: God is a mystery, truly the opposite of what the Word says. One of Satan’s weapon is confusion and his goal is to distort the character of God from love, to dictator. He tells the lie that God is a mystery and we don’t know what God is going to do or why. He tells those who will believe him that God does bad things to us and we should accept those bad things as God’s punishment to us.
When Satan gets God’s children to believe that God is doing bad to them, he is governing them with that lie. They are thinking they are following God and accepting the bad things they think God wills for them, when really it is Satan doing the bad, and Satan controlling them with that lie, and finally -- his goal is to lead them to destruction (John 10:10, Hosea 4:6).
The truth, as always is told in the Word: God does not want to be a mystery and God is good.
Mark 4:11 And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [of our circle] everything becomes a parable,
According to Jesus, God is only a mystery to those who are not following Him. Therefore it is apparent that we are to have the knowledge of the Kingdom of God--that God should not be a mystery to those of us who are Christians.
Knowing the truth from the Word clearly depicts the lie of the enemy. Jesus warned us that Satan would steal the Word at any opportunity; in fact He said if you didn’t have this understanding, you wouldn’t understand anything. That's where our confusion comes in, from not knowing the Word of God. Satan does not want us to have understanding which is why he tells that lie, to steal the Word (the understanding of God we are in need of).
Mark 4:13 And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the Word. 15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them.
One lie leads to the next. Satan wanting us to think God is a mystery keeps us from reading the Word of God, which keeps us from knowing God and the truth. If God is a mystery (the lie Satan tells) than the reasoning one might believe is; why bother taking the time to try and get to know God? ting to know God? It doesn't make sense to take the time to know someone in whom you can’t know anyway, someone who wills to be a mystery.
Next, as soon as you get past the lie of God not want to be a mystery, and you know you can get to know Him by knowing the Word, then, the enemy aims to steal the Word from you as soon as you hear it. Why? Because if you actually heard the Word and found out that God was in love with you and living His way was the good life everyone longs for, then Satan’s lie is exposed.
We have to know that Satan is a voice, and all he has to do is convince one person God is a mystery and pretty soon everyone is saying God is a mystery and we can’t understand God. But if we know the Word of God we can change that lie to truth. God wants to be known and He will reveal His mysteries to those who want to know Him.
One other very popular lie Satan tells is: everything happens for a reason. The purpose for that lie is to insinuate God does everything, whether good or bad, and even if it was bad, some how it was meant for someone’s good; there is a reason for it. We don't know the reason, but that ties in with God being a mystery, (which we just read is not true) God does not want to by a mystery; He wants us to know Him. Also, God is not the author of bad and He does not do bad things.
Going to the Word of God, God speaking His wisdom to us, His truth or you could say His mysteries to us: He tells us He does not do bad.
James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. 14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).
15 Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death. 16 Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. 18 And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].
Here we can see God is not doing bad to us, in fact you can see in verse 18, we are the most important to God, we are number one in His life. He lives for us; He always has us on His mind. He is in love with us; we are His first fruits, the most important of all of His creations.
Your kids are the most important to you and you know you wouldn’t do bad to them, but still some think God would do bad to His children and that is ludicrously!
How do we stop such nonsense? The Word tells us. First we have to know that Satan is a voice, something said by someone else, or a voice in our head. How can we know that? 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us our warfare is not physical but in theories, in thoughts, and to change what we think to make it line up with the Word. In other words think the Word, just like Jesus did, He only said what the Father said, did what the Father did, and obviously thought what the Father thought. He based His thinking, His opinion on His Father's opinion. He lived by God's opinion, in His Kingdom right here on the earth, and so can we.
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 5[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasoning’s and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), 6 Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.
God telling us to take captive every thought is a clear indication that Satan is trying to interject his thoughts in our mind and obviously Satan’s way of imitating God’s voice. But, if we examine every thought like God is telling us to do we can note the difference. God‘s voice is the still calm, peaceful voice that may seem like it came in through your mind, but if you pay close attention it comes from your spirit. Satan’s voice is loud and annoying as he is always trying to put pressure on us to do something and do it right away!
Because Satan tries to imitate God we can be fooled, therefore God has said to examine every thought and compare it to the Word of God. Why? Because the Word of God is God, the Word of God is the way God lives, His opinion, His way of doing and being right. John 1:1 says that the Word is God, therefore the Word is God speaking to us and we can compare what we hear with His Word.
Satan will use people he has deceived, even those who say they are God’s messengers, to imitate God and His work.
Matthew 24:3 While He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age?4 Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].5 For many will come in (on the strength of) My name appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; 8 All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the [intolerable anguish]. 9 Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. 11 And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.
There is more to this picture of Satan dressing up like God than meets the eye; his ultimate goal is to take us to hell, to deceive us into turning against God. You may think that isn’t possible, but it is if you don’t have a relationship with God, in which you have constant conversation with God, asking God questions all the time as the disciples did. Most don’t realize that their understanding (what they think) could endanger their eternity, but it can. It is vital (what we think) that we know the truth, and that truth comes from the Word, God Himself.
James 1:5 tells us we can ask God for wisdom anytime and He will give it to us, God wants good for us, He doesn’t want to be a mystery, He wants to be our Dad and do good for us, not some of the time, but all of the time.
Matthew 7:11 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!
God is in love with us and we need to know that Satan is jealous and his goal is to try and steal God from us. He wants to control us with his lies, therefore we need to know the truth to know the lies he tells. We need to know God is in love with us, and we will know that when we take the time to know Him.
Therefore I would like to encourage you to get to know God, get out the Word of God and take the time to know Him so that you are not fooled by the enemy, thinking his thoughts and living by his control rather than living in the truth, controlled by God and preparing for your eternity with Him.